Davis Webb enjoys the chess match of playing quarterback at a high level. The Texas Tech sophomore loves it even more when he checkmates someone such as Tech defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt.

“Oh, heck yeah,” Webb said Thursday. “It’s always fun to make Wally upset. Whenever he’s yelling at the defense, it makes you put a smile on your face knowing you did something right when you checked something right.”

Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury wants to unleash that facet of Webb’s game this season.

A year ago, with Baker Mayfield and Webb behind center, Kingsbury didn’t want to put too much too soon on a pair of freshmen.

Now Webb has a season under his belt and some success and with Webb’s reputation for being a voracious student of the game, Kingsbury thinks he’s ready for the next step.

“I think we’re going to put a lot more on him to get us into better plays than we did last year,” Kingsbury said. “(When) you’ve got two true freshmen, you want to try and call the perfect play for them and then let them operate in it.

“I feel like Davis has a much better understanding of what I’m trying to get at, we’re kind of seeing the same things out there, so he’s going to take a bigger role for getting us into the right play.”

That means more freedom at the line of scrimmage.

“No doubt,” Kingsbury said. “He’s always had freedom. I just feel like with his comfort level, he’ll take more risk as far as believing what he sees out there and getting us into a play.”

Webb threw for 2,718 yards and 20 touchdowns last year, even as he started only five games and played in five others. He accomplished that while not daring to stray much from the script.

On that point, too, Webb and Kingsbury see eye to eye.

“Last year, I had the ability to check a lot, whatever I wanted, the same as this year,” he said. “But I didn’t really utilize that as much as I could have, I think, because I wasn’t as confident as I am right now checking plays and understanding defense.”

Webb credits part of his growth to the several days he spent this summer in San Diego with private quarterback coaches George Whitfield and Kevin O’Connell, the latter a former San Diego State quarterback who had a cup of coffee in the NFL.

Along with endorsing Webb’s feel for play selection, Kingsbury feels comfortable with Webb pushing the ball downfield more. That means going up top and deep more often.

Kingsbury has said his offense tended to play in “a 20-yard box” last season, and he’d like to break out of that.

So be it, his quarterback says.

“He’s the best offensive coordinator in the nation,” Webb said, “so whatever he calls is going to be open, I think. If he calls some deep throws and he game plans that way, we definitely have the receivers this year to outrun people.”

If he makes the right check and the Red Raiders hit a big-play touchdown, Webb will enjoy ribbing someone else’s defensive coordinator.

“When it works out, you’re the happiest guy on the field,” he said. “That gets me ready for what I want to do when I’m done playing: be an offensive coordinator and a head coach.”